APPENDICES 225

in so far as is consistent with good Government. Parcel
out each Sub-division into twenty or thirty Village Unions.,
entrust the Union Committees with the charge of village
roads, village tanks, village drainage, village education, and
village hospitals, and send over to them all petty civil and
criminal cases, *iot for judicial disposal, but for amicable
settlement. A great deal of expensive litigation and bad feel-
ing in villages can thus be stopped, a great deal of useful
work can thus be done, and what is more, the natural leaders
of the village population will thus come in touch with the
Sub-divisional and District administrators, and will form
the agents of village administration in so far as they are
fit to take that position. An unsympathetic system of rule
through the police will thus be replaced by a rule with the
cooperation of the people themselves.

MUNICIPAL TOWNS

From the subject of Villages I come to the subject of
Municipal Towns which are receiving a great deal of atten-
tion now. Gentlemen, I consider it of primary importance
that we should insist on efficient municipal administration,
and that power should be given to the Government to en-
sure such efficient administration if the Municipal Com-
missioners are slack. Such power is retained by the
Government in England, and it is more necessary that such
power should be retained by the Government in India. But
having provided for this, I am of opinion that the work
should be done through the elected Commissioners and not
through the officials or secretaries appointed by the Govern-
ment. The latter system, ruins self-government, and is not
needed. I have myself supervised the work of every
Municipality in a District as a District Officer, and I have
supervised the work of all the Municipalities in a Division